1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to the repair of ceramic matrix composite materials and in particular to a dowel-adhesive method for repairing ceramic matrix composites.
2. Related Art
A great deal of effort has been devoted to the development of ceramic matrix composites (CMC) for high-temperature structural applications. These CMC materials are used for many different types of parts. During the life of a part made of a CMC material, service methods of repairing damage must be available. In particular, repair methods that do not require removal of the CMC part from the structure are very desirable.
Basically, there are two primary repair methods: adhesive based repairs and mechanically based repairs. Adhesive based repairs utilize an adhesive to bond a patch to a prepared surface. Mechanically based repairs use fasteners (e.g. rivets) to attach a patch to a prepared surface. Polymer matrix composites are usually repaired using adhesives exclusively while metallic components are normally repaired using mechanical means exclusively, such as rivets or fasteners. However, due to the brittle nature of ceramics and ceramic adhesives, neither mechanical nor adhesive based repairs alone will produce an effective repair.
Therefore, what is needed is an adhesive method for repairing ceramic matrix composites with both adhesive and mechanical bonding approaches. What is also needed is an inexpensive method for repairing CMC materials. What is also needed is a reliable repair method. Whatever the merits of the above mentioned systems and methods, they do not achieve the benefits of the present invention.